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Jenna Abrams Mythology Page
Piece 1 Accession Number: 03.792 Subject: Akrisios, Danae, and Perseus Page 302 of Early Greek Myth '' Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Boston, Massachusetts Links to Piece: #http://www.iconiclimc.ch/visitors/limc_index_catalogue.php?source=114&term=Akrisios+7 #http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/record/B0C12F15-7A5F-48DE-A141-35F8DB77A8CA # https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/water-jar-hydria-with-myth-of-danae-and-perseus-153632 Boston Museum of Fine Arts makes it known before sending permission that to license the image there is a fee required. '''Piece 2' Accession Number: 1970.237 Subject: Perseus and Athena with Gorgon Head Page 306 of Early Greek Myth '' Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Boston, Massachusetts Links to Piece: #https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/mixing-bowl-bell-krater-154107 # http://www.theoi.com/Gallery/P23.2.html Boston Museum of Fine Arts makes it known before sending permission that to license the image there is a fee required. '''Piece 3' Accession Number: 00.349 Subject: Bellephrontes and Pegasus Page 316 of Early Greek Myth '' Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Boston, Massachusetts Links to Piece: #https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/jar-stamnos-154074 #https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/fish-plate-338070 #www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/record/5B8A5182-585B-45E3-814E-D9CAB4B2BEBD *** No image avaible due to copyright restrictions, to view a full sized image click: http://zoom.mfa.org/fif=c/c7334.fpx&obj=iip,1.0&wid=960&cvt=jpeg Boston Museum of Fine Arts makes it known before sending permission that to license the image there is a fee required. '''Assessment of Akrisios and Danae Amphora' Piece 03.792 referenced by Gantz is an Attic cermaic red-figure depiction of Akrisios, Danae, and Perseus. This image is found on a hydria or water jar that is from the Classical Period of Greece, dating to around 450-440 B.C. Some may question how it was known to be a hydria versus an amphora, another vessel used in ancient Greece. The simple difference between the two is the name amphora translates to "with two handles" a distinct characteristic from a hydria which has three handles. The hydria has two horizontal handles for carrying the vase and one vertical handle that is used for pouring. The clarity of the scene between Akrisios and Danae on the hydria is due to its red-figure work allowing very fine details to be painteed on the vase instead of being scratched into the vessel when the black-figure technique was used before. The scene on the hydria comes from the myth of Perseus. Akrisios, the father of Danae has long before received a prophecy from Delphi that his grandson; the son of Danae would kill him one day. This lead to Akrisios imprisoning Danae so she would never be able to bore a child. While imprisoned, Danae is visited by Zeus in the form of a golden shower where she becomes pregnant and later gives birth to a son, Perseus. The scene depicted on the vessel picks up in the myth where Akrisios decides to lock Danae and the young Perseus in a chest to throw them out to sea, for the sea to be the ultimate cause of their death, in hopes to avoid the prophecy from coming true. Akrisios looks on towards the chest, past two other women, to Perseus and Danae who can be seen gazing at one another before their presumed death. The representation appears to be consistent with the myth of Perseus. Gantz describes how in art around the 5th century, there was no alternate depiction or version of the myth. Art on various vessels is consistent with scenes of Danae and the golden shower from Zeus and another scene of a chest with Danae and Perseus in the same picture. Where variation occurs in the depection of this specific scene is not of deviation from the myth as Gantz mentioned, but what time in the myth. Some depictions show a carpenter fitting the chest, some show Perseus in the chest with Danae about to get in, another depiction has Danae and Perseus already at sea, and there is this depiction displayed on the hydria of Danae and Perseus in the chest as Akrisios and other women gaze upon them as the two are about to be locked in the chest. The piece is a nice representation of the scene between Akrisios, Perseus, and Danae. With the red-figure style, there is a clear and subtle amount of detail in the drapery in the robes and detail in hair. It is also easy to see a small amount of emotion on young Perseus' face, that of worry or distress, while Danae has a soothing warm look upon her face. This is a valuable and consistent depiction of the myth. It is interesting to see two women along with Akrisios out of the chest, many interpretations show a carpenter in the scene or at least a nurse to Perseus. It seems odd, unnecessary, or just crowded to have the extra woman. They may be there to start the separation between Akrisios and his family so the fact that he is about to murder them is less personal. References: Gantz, Timothy. "Perseus and Bellephrontes." Early Greek Myth. ''Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ., 1996. N. pag. Print. Greek A. Prinicipal Vase Types: a)Hydria; b) Lekythos; c) Krater; d) Amphora; e) Kylix; f) Oenochoe. online. n.d. ; Available from ARTstor Digital Library, Ipswich, MA. Accessed April 14, 2014. Mirti, P., Gulimini, M., Perardi, A., Davit, P., Elia, D. 2004. "Technology of production of red figure potter from Attic and souther Italian workshops." ''Analytical & Bioanalytical Chemistry ''380, no. 4:712. ''Advanced Placement Source. Web. 14. Apr. 2014.